Finding Success in Writing with Learning Disabilities

Students with learning disabilities are often challenged throughout the language arts, so it should be no surprise that written language can be challenging for them. The following ideas are strategies that can be used to simplify learning to write so that a child with learning disabilities can find success:

Strategies that can be used to simplify learning for children with disabilities

  • Break writing down into three main concept: Basic mechanics (including handwriting, sentence structure, spelling, and punctuation), Content (vocabulary, organization, quality, clarity), and higher-level writing (revision process and planning).
  • Students need to learn basic rules such as correct letter formation and capitalizing proper nouns.
  • Practicing is an essential element of making a successful writer.
  • Focus on learning tasks only a couple at a time. Students with learning disabilities may have problem with spacing letters or spelling focus on these before moving onto more complex things.
  • Remember that writing takes a lot of coordination and various mental and physical processes, because of this, students may need to learn at a slower pace.
  • If a particular child appears to need extra help, find resource teachers, aides, therapists, or family that will work with the child. The sooner the child gets help the more successful and main streamed they can be later on.
  • Creative writing, like in journaling, can be a simple measure to increase the students practice without focusing on content.
  • Children can practice proofreading focusing on one specific item like punctuation or spelling. This can help the child to recognize problems and become more self-sufficient at writing.

Learning Disabilities: Legislation and Litigation

Legislation and litigation play a huge roll in the lives of those with learning disabilities and those that work with them. By the definitions that the government provides, individuals with learning disabilities receive services that aide in their education. The following will reflect on legislation and litigation and its effects on special education today.

Two of the big laws that affect those with disabilities in the US are: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, IDEA, and Americans with Disabilities Act, ADA. Learning disabilities are defined by IDEA as…

A disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or to do mathematical calculations, including conditions such as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia (CEC).

This definition does not include those with motor disabilities, hearing/ vision impairments, emotional disturbance, mental retardation, or cultural/economic/ environmental disadvantages that may result in learning disabilities (CEC). The definition does include: dyslexia, minimal brain dysfunction, perpetual disabilities, brain injury, and developmental aphasia. It is important to note that the IDEA definition only applies to school-aged individuals, however, learning disabilities can occur at all ages since learning is an on-going process. With this in mind, those at LD Online, have materials date September 1992, which state ADA applies to those with disabilities into their adulthood. If this is correct, it means those with learning disabilities are entitled to have access to and be accommodated in employment, transportation, public accommodations, state and local government activities, and communication.

Those with learning disabilities have varying disabilities, which may affect them in different ways and to different extents. As an educator, parent, and professional, it is possible to help those with learning disabilities to compensate for the disability. Individuals with learning disabilities may perform differently considering their familiarity with the task, complexity of the task, the environment, access to assistive devices, and other external support.

References

LD Online. (2011).  From http://www.ldonline.org/

The Council for Exceptional Children. (n.d.). From http://www.cec.sped.org

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Helping those with Learning Disabilities Find Success

In order to help those with learning disabilities to find more success with academics and social-emotional skills, it is important to support their needs. Some possible ideas that may help include extrinsic motivation, rewards, intrinsic motivation, and grading (Smith, 2004). Extrinsic motivation is used when teachers and parents use enthusiasm to convey to children that they can and will succeed (Smith, 2004). It is important to use these when children really will succeed, so that the children will find reward in their work and be willing to try for success next time. Rewards can include verbal praise or alternative benefits to the child (Smith, 2004). It is important to remember when using reward that the child’s main focus should be the task and not the award, so that they do not become dependent on a reward. Intrinsic motivation is keeping the child task oriented and with internal motivation (Smith, 2004). The best way to convey intrinsic motivation is by displaying one’s own hard work for success to others. Children normally find this motivation from their own families. Grading is used in most cases to motivate children to work hard, but this system can be very defeating to those with Learning Disabilities. They may find more support from group projects, portfolios, narrative evaluations, and personalized grading that does not put them in direct competition with their peers, which they cannot beat (Smith, 2004).

child learning

Students need many tools in order to find academic success whether they have learning disabilities or not. It is important to personalize their supports and remember that those with learning disabilities may need more help to find success than their peers. This does not mean that they are limited, just that they are more challenged in finding success.

Reference

Smith, C.R., (2004). Learning Disabilities: The Interaction of Students and Their Environments (5th ed.). New York: Pearson Education, Inc.

 

Meeting the Needs of Those with Learning Disabilities

As a parent, it can be difficult to learn of your child’s learning disability. Meeting the needs of those with learning disabilities can be done with an individualized plan. A basic definition of a learning disability is an impairment that affects the way a child learns and can make it more difficult for them to reach age typical goals. There are a variety of different strategies and techniques that can be used to help a child with a learning disability achieve their educational goals.

Learning Disabilities

An important place to start is with educating yourself is with your local school district on their policies, procedures, and programs available for your child. A child’s eligibility to Special education services is not to be identified by one limited test. Arizona implements the right for all children to have a free appropriate public education, FAPE. It is part of Arizona specified process to identify, locate, and evaluate all students with disabilities. This means, whether the child is at a private or public school, teachers need to be aware of their students needs. The child’s IEP, individual education plan, team, which includes family and professionals, should decide the child’s need for special education and for other available services. Children are also to be re-evaluated, every three years, throughout their educational process. These assessments will be followed with evaluation reports that summarize the child’s current level of development. Children are to be assessed by tests that are none prejudice and not bias to any group/demographic of people. According to Arizona Department of Education’s website, http://www.ade.az.gov,

“For a child suspected of having a specific learning disability, the documentation of the team’s determination of eligibility will include: whether the child has a specific learning disability; the basis for making the determination; the relevant behavior noted during the observation of the child; the relationship of that behavior to the child’s academic functioning; the educationally relevant medical findings, if any; whether there is severe discrepancy between achievement and ability that is not correctable without special education and related services; the determination of the team concerning the effects of environment, cultural or economic disadvantage; and each team member will certify in writing whether the report reflects his/her conclusion. If it does not reflect his/her conclusion, the team member must submit a separate statement presenting his or her conclusion.”

Each individual school district has separate programs. Many start for children at the age of three. Most often these programs are great for children with language impairments and other early-diagnosed disabilities. In many special education classes, speech therapist are available to aid in directing educational activities to include components aimed at increasing language skills. Speech therapists may also be available for one-on-one consultation with children. There are also resource teachers available in most schools for more of a tutoring program to assist children in specific areas/subjects that they need more help with during their education. As a parent, it is important to ask your specific school what they offer, so that your child can get the best education for them to succeed to their full potential.

With learning disabilities, there are lots of questions for parents to find the answers to. There is information on the web, in libraries, and available through government and school programs. Take advantage of these resources so that your child can maximize their education experience.

Identifying Learning Disabilities

This week I corresponded with three individuals involved in the Special Education Process: a regular education teacher, a special education teacher, and a parent. They discussed with me the process of identifying learning disabilities.

The regular education teacher admitted she did not have as much information to share on this topic. The special education teacher provided the IDEA definition of learning disabilities, “A disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or to do mathematical calculations, including conditions such as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia.”

The parent shared her experience of finding that her son was not performing well on school work and seemed frustrated, however, her son was bright and doing well with other development. She discussed this with the teacher, and they decided to proceed with a screening. This part included vision and hearing screenings, as well as some other tests. Eventually this led to a referral to specialist, which diagnosed her son as having a learning disability.

The special education teacher shared there are a variety of assessments that are used in diagnosing children with learning disabilities. These included ecological, portfolio, individualized intelligence tests, and individualized achievement tests. These tests reveal the child’s skill levels in reading, math, and written language. Most tests look at the children’s deviation from the norm, which can qualify the student for services when there is a variance between the child’s IQ level and their achievement levels.

Students go through a complex process to be diagnosed with learning disabilities. This process is full of tests and can only be started with parents and teachers working as a team to benefit the child’s education. Please let me know of your experiences:)